Too Late for Tea
by DTitania
Summary: FFIV Some hearts belong together. Others not. A story focusing on Rydia and Edge.
1. 4 o'clock

**Too late for tea**

A FFIV story

by Titania

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft/Enix.

**1.**

**4 o'clock**

_"Soon, he will be here."_

Smiling, she set up the kettle, though suddenly her lips pursed in a frown.

He would be drinking tea, would he? After all he was no longer the young, wine loving man he had been before. That was at least what she hoped… No, not hoped, but presumed.

Hoped had she another time, a time in which his drinking habits had greatly troubled her.

And not only this.

Some hair fell into her face and she pushed the emerald strands behind her ear – another strand came loose, a strand of a different appearance and curiously she twirled it around her finger before her eyes. What a strange colour it had – it was not really grey, but also not white. It reminded her of something, but she could not put her finger on it. She wondered, though, what _he_ would think when he saw her hair and for a moment, she perceived this old feeling of uncertainty, of frailty she thought she had forgotten to feel…

There was a knock on the door – not hesitating and shy, but also not bold and strong;_ "appropriate"_ came involuntarily into her mind, but she did not know what exactly appropriate related to… Was it only the way he knocked, or the fact that he finally visited her after all these years? She straightened her green dress for one last time, although she knew that there was nothing to straighten, but just feeling the coarse cloth between her fingers calmed her.

_"Am I shaking?"_

No, there was no need to be nervous. It wasn't like back then, after all.

She opened the door. Before, she had wondered what kind of smile she would give him – would it look weary, would it look content or would it look playful? Her face betrayed her thought – some part in her was happy to see him and her lips broke apart in a truthful smile of welcome.

"Edge… It has been a long time."

"Rydia…"

The monosyllabic answer made her laugh out brightly, while she took a better look at him. She had thought that he would look younger, would enter with a grin on his lips. He always had looked younger than his age – he had always been more boy than a man… He had also always been grinning as far back as she could remember, had always had a mischievous look in his eyes. Rydia had often wondered how he would look without this expression on his face and had told him to be "_at least one time serious_".

Her wish had been granted to her, now. A sting went through her heart and her smile waned.

xxx

Edge could hear footsteps behind the door – slightly rushed, but still not overly hasty – _"appropriate"_ he thought, but did not know if he was referring to her behaviour or to the fact that she was willing to open the door for someone she had not seen for many, many years.

A someone who did not have the courage to face her for many, many years.

He looked into a smiling, amazingly young face, the lines around her eyes and some grey strands in her hair the only signs of her age. Surprised and slightly stunned by her still lasting beauty, he couldn't bring himself to smile back . He had thought that she would look older – and more earnest, marked by the ordeals and losses that she had to endure; the last one being the death of her husband some years ago.

_"You were not there…"_

"It's been a long time…" she said now, her voice calmer and warmer than he remembered it to be, but still bright.

"Rydia..." Her name was the only thing he brought forth and immediately, he felt stupid for it. She laughed at it - no, it wasn't laughing, it was…

_"Giggling?"_ Rydia laughed like the young girl she had been so many years ago. Or was it just his imagination? There was even more that bugged him about this laugh and it filled him with something he hadn't known before, something he had never had to fight against:

Doubts.

She still looked so young, _sounded_ so young, so unchanged – and he looked old, he knew this, although he would never admit this to anyone.

Was Rydia disappointed by his appearance? She had not only stopped giggling now, but had also stopped smiling and was looking at him… angrily? Sadly?

_"I've never been good at reading her expression…" _

He opened his mouth and asked a question he had never asked before in his life, since its possible answer had never interested him until now:

"Are you sure that I am not bothering you?"

xxx

Rydia frowned. Why did Edge ask if he bothered her? Did he believe that her invitation hadn't been meant seriously? Well, in fact it hadn't been her idea, at all. Cecil had informed her by letter that Edge was currently visiting Baron and since Mist was only a stone's throw away—

"_Why did it take me so long to find the courage to invite him?"_

She also asked herself if it had been a good idea. That wasn't the Edge she knew. Why was he so considerate? It seemed that he really _had_ changed and again, she wondered why it did not make her happy.

"Come in already, " she said. "I was just making some tea."

"Tea? That's wonderful!" Edge sounded like he really meant it.

"_So he really is no longer the wine lover…_" Rydia thought and could not help but feel another cold wave of disappointment rolling over her.

As Edge sat down at the little kitchen table, he thanked her for the invitation. He also politely told her: "_You look great_."

Despite the flattering words, Rydia's inner frown built, although she tried to serve the tea with a friendly smile – had age made him polite? The old Edge (and for once, she wasn't talking about age) would have cracked twenty jokes until now and his compliments would have been a lot bolder.

"_And you would have been annoyed by no end, dear Rydia…_"

Rydia still could remember well the countless times his remarks had irritated her greatly: She never had understood the "_sweetie_" and "_babe_" talk and also never had known how to react toit. One day, Rosa had explained to her that Edge's "timing" was always very bad and Rydia hadn't even understood what exactly the ninja _had_ _tried to time_...

_"No, that's a lie – even though I was still a child inside, I have always known that he likes me… More than friends like each other…"_

"How's Cecil?" she asked to start a conversation – it was strange that, after the many years she had not seen Edge, she could think of nothing else than to talk about the Paladin.

"He's doing well, I think. Still as hard working as ever, although he no longer has to be."

Rydia nodded. In fact she knew all this – Cecil had recently given the throne over to his son and was now visiting her, together with Rosa, on a regular basis.

"They are also becoming grandparents, soon. Can you believe it? How time flies… Do you remember their wedding?" Edge continued the chit-chat.

Again, they started to talk about the past and about Cecil. It was he who had brought them together in the beginning, such a long time ago: under his leadership they had journeyed and fought together and as the journey had ended, ultimately, also their association had ended.

Why was it that even now, they only could talk about the past? It was as if the present had no meaning…

"Yes, I still remember the wedding well..." she said, not without smiling – didn't they say that with age the long-term memory got better and better? "I'll never forget how Palom sipped some wine and then accidentally burnt the hair of Lucca's doll. She was crying and ran to me for comfort – I really didn't know how to react. I probably felt appalled because of the black head, too… After all, inertly, I wasn't really much older than her…"

Edge laughed and Rydia felt annoyance welling up within, although she was aware that is was an unfair anger. After all, he could neither understand nor know how she had felt back then, since she had never told anyone the rest of the story, the rest of the night…


	2. Before the tea

**2.**

**Before the tea**

_"So, will you return to the Underworld after the wedding, Lady Rydia?" the burly King Giott enquired, stroking the head of his sobbing daughter at the same time. The little Lucca was still completely frantic because of the mischief Palom had inflicted on her doll and the soothing gestures of her father calmed her only slowly. _

_"I… I'm not sure…" Rydia stuttered – for some reason, the sign of parental love she was witnessing made her feel uneasy. She had to think of her mother and her loving embraces--- they seemed such a long time ago, like in another life. But then again, she no longer needed something like that – she was an adult now. Still, she shivered inside, feeling cold._

_"Well, I hope that you will stay!" A friendly voice laughed and a warm arm was laid around her shoulder. Cecil had appeared next to her, looking radiant in his white wedding garb, the kingly crown on his head fitting like it had been made just for him. Rydia had never seen her friend so relaxed and happy as now – the troubled look had vanished from his eyes, and only appeared shortly when someone asked him about the whereabouts of Kain. She smiled at him, glad that he was there and thankful for the embrace that had made her feel a bit warmer inside. _

_"I… I was indeed thinking about returning to Mist…" Rydia admitted. "It is my hometown, after all…"_

_"But you will be alone there_..._ You know that Rosa and I would be very happy if you stayed here in Baron." For a moment, the thoughtful and worried expression returned to Cecil's features._

"_Yes, I know… I will think about it." Rydia said, though she already knew how her answer would turn out…_

_"Hey, your Majesty!" Cid's loud voice shouted across the room, causing some noblewomen to look into his direction with disgust. "I surely like dancing with Rosa, but it seems like you're evading her!"_

_"We'll continue our talk later, okay?" Cecil gave Rydia's shoulder one last, apologizing squeeze before he hurried off to embrace his beautiful and beaming wife._

_Upon his abrupt departure, the summoner got embraced by a chilly feeling once more – she was aware that Cecil and Rosa would be delighted if she stayed in Baron, but she also felt that she should let them live their own life… _

_"Dad, I'm tired!" Lucca complained – it seemed that the crying had worn her out and that she was short of falling asleep while standing._

_"Then lets retire to our rooms, shall we?" With a little laugh, Giott lifted his daughter onto his arm. _

_"Promise me you'll visit me, yes, Lady Rydia?" the little girl murmured sleepily, before her head slumped against her father's shoulder. With a little nod of approval in Rydia's direction, King Giott left the festivities, carrying his daughter in a protective embrace._

_Left alone, Rydia surveyed the room. Everyone was in such good spirits – the world was in peace once more and she knew that she should feel peaceful, too. _

_The truth was, though, that she felt miserable._

_"It seems that everyone has found his or her place and is at ease…" She spotted the royal couple of Baron dancing; she saw the newly crowned Kings Edward and Yang talking intently about- probably- political decisions; she could hear Cid's hearty laughter as he clinked glasses with his apprentices. _

_Rydia presumed that even Kain in his absence had probably found his place to be._

_"Hey sweetheart, why are you looking so sad?" a loutish voice broke her thoughts. Edge was approaching her with a mischievous look in his eyes and a broad smile – Rydia noticed at once that his breath was slightly stale with alcohol. Only a second later, a glass of wine was held under her nose._

_"Here, why don't you drink something? It'll cheer you up."_

_"And then I'll smell like you? No thanks," she retorted curtly._

_"Oh, come on! You're a big girl now – you are allowed to drink!" Edge was persistent as always when he had an idea about something in his head. Sometimes it seemed to Rydia like he was always playing a game of will with her – a game she didn't like much and a game she was much too tired for now. Instead of giving another witty answer, she just turned her head away from the glass._

_"Well, then maybe you want to dance?" With a sweeping movement, Edge put the glass down on a nearby table, at the same time grabbing her hand and whirling her around._

_"Edge, stop that!" Rydia protested and tried to get out of his grasp – she still felt so tired, though, and ultimately had to let herself get dragged onto the dance floor. _

_"Edge, I don't want to dance…" She started a last, weak attempt of protest. _

_"But you already are– I also promise you that I won't step on your toes…" Edge laughed. In fact he was a good dancer – Rydia had expected that much from someone who was always intent on his effect on others. _

_"So, will you stay in Baron?" He asked, his grey-blue eyes regarding her attentively, nearly impertinently. Still, something in his gaze made Rydia loosen up a bit._

_"No -- I don't want to interfere in Cecil's and Rosa's life. I'd never feel at home here. I don't know where to go, though… I'm a stranger here, as well as in the Land of the Summoned Monsters…" It felt good and relieving to tell these things to someone -- she would have liked to tell them to Cecil, but knew that he would only start to worry. Edge never seemed to be worried about anything, though, and for once she was glad about it. _

_The orchestra was playing a slow piece now and Edge pulled her closer, so that her head rested on his shoulder. Rydia thought of breaking free, but it felt strangely calming to lean against him, feeling his warmth; for a precious moment, she felt protected and safe and she closed her eyes, trying to relax. _

_"Why don't you come with me to Eblan?" His breath was hot against her ear. _

_"And then?" She asked nearly sleepily, her eyes still closed._

_"Do you really need to ask?"_

_Her eyes flew open in panic as she realized that Edge was trying to kiss her and with a violent motion she pushed him away from her. The ninja managed only barely to avoid stumbling into the other dancing couples._

_"Are you crazy? I just wanted to give you a little kiss!" He complained._

_"Just a little kiss?" Rydia's heart was racing—he had been so near... Too near. It had made her afraid. "Why… why can you never leave me alone?"_

_"It didn't seem to me like you wanted to be left alone…" His quizzical remark made Rydia's blood boil. Edge just studied her, amused. "Don't act like a childish little girl, now—"_

_"But I AM a little girl – can't you see?" She instinctively wanted to shout in his face, wanted to shout out the fear his closeness invoked in her, wanted to tell him to stop, just to hold her like he had done when dancing -- there were so many things she wanted to tell him, too many, and it seemed to her like they all wanted to get out at once; they assembled in her throat, getting stuck and she could only stare at him angrily, her breathing heavy, her face pale. _

_"Come on, Rydia, don't give me that look. We both know that you like me and can not be truly angry with me." Edge said now, so horribly in love with himself, so sure of himself, sure of his feelings – feelings that were so strange to her… _

_From all the things Rydia had wanted to say, one finally slipped free, and it was only half true:_

_"You are such an idiot! I hate you!" _

_She made her way through the dancing crowd, paying no heed to Cecil's worried call or to the things Edge shouted after her. The fast paced piece that the orchestra was playing now, the couples that were dancing swiftly around her -- everything was much too fast for her taste: Her life had changed, the world had changed, her body had changed, her responsibility had changed --_

_But her heart and soul stayed still._

_On her way out, she passed Palom and Porom who were arguing with the Elder about how long they were supposed to stay awake. Rydia desperately wished that someone would argue about this with her, as well._

_That night, she cried in her room, feeling very little, lonely and afraid._


	3. 5 o'clock

**3.**

**5 o'clock**

Edge took a sip of tea, trying not to show too much of his disgust – he wished that he had brought a bottle of wine with him, but since Rydia had never reacted well to his drinking, he had refrained from doing so. It was his way of saying sorry --

_"Sorry, because I have not been there."_

Over the rim of his cup, he studied Rydia, who was looking down at the tea in her hand, lost in thought, her calm smile frozen—

He wished that he hadn't asked her about the wedding, but it seemed as if this fateful day, this day that had ended everything before it had even begun, was everything that they had in common, everything there was to talk about.

"You were so angry at the wedding – you didn't even say goodbye to me when I left for Eblan…" Although he tried to, he couldn't hide the reproachful undertone in his voice.

"But at the dinner the day before I threw some wine in your face…" Rydia murmured, still lost in her own world.

"You always could be very temperamental…" Edge said and wished that a spark of her temperament would come back; a part of this, it seemed to him, _capriciousness_ that he never had understood. Or was it there after all? He still could make neither heads nor tails of her behaviour – why was she so calm? Her husband had died some years ago and he had not been there--

"I'm sorry that I wasn't at the funeral…" it slipped out.

She looked up from her tea cup, surprised. "What?"

"Your husband's funeral five years ago. I wasn't there…"

She said nothing. Again, Edge wished that she would shout something at him, call him stupid, an idiot, anything. He couldn't cope with silence, could come up with no witty remark. The silence forced him to speak out the truth, to speak out the one question he had wanted to ask all along:

"You loved him very much, didn't you?"

xxx

"You loved him very much, didn't you?" he asked, once more uncharacteristically serious.

She would have liked to have given a bitter laugh, but for some reason bitterness was the one thing her being could never harbour – she knew sadness; long, lingering sadness, almost tender when it filled her with melancholy and the feeling of loss, but never bitterness…

"It had been love at first sight between us," she said, very friendly, nearly informative, and she could see that his face filled with disappointment. She felt sad for him and sad for herself that she felt unable to explain her words to him.

_"Yes, love at first sight, nothing less…" _Many years after Cecil's and Rosa's wedding she had married a polite and caring wizard– it _had_ been love at the first sight, nothing less.

But also nothing more.

But how could words explain what neither her mind nor her feelings could?

"What about you?" she asked, and noticed to her horror that her voice was shaking, that her smile was shaking. "Surrounded by grandchildren already?" She knew the answer, she knew that he had no children and also wasn't married… Cecil always informed her about any news concerning Edge unasked, as if she had a right to know everything about him – and yet, now, she wanted to hear the words from his mouth.

xxx

"Well, I'm not married, but…" Edge hesitated – what was he supposed to say? Was she expecting to be told about the romantic advances he had had in his youth? She had went on with her life, had married, had loved like she just had admitted – it would go against his pride to show her his disappointment, to give her the feeling that he hadn't went on, to give her the feeling that _she_ was at fault for a lonely life–

_"At least lonely in heart…"_

"But? How many?" Rydia asked, her head bent slightly to the side in a playful gesture, but with a quiet and knowing smile on her lips.

"How many?" He tried to give an amused laugh. "Rydia, you surely don't want to know—"

"I'm no longer a little girl, Edge," she stated matter-of-factly.

_"No, you no longer are…" _Rydia had been a woman for many years now, a woman who had lived her own life, apart from him with another man. And in all those years, he had lived his own life, too. Of course it had been a life with women, maybe not as many as people were giving him credit, but enough to have forgotten some of their names. Then again, he had never been good with names in the first place and maybe they also hadn't interested him.

"Some," Edge answered Rydia's question and thought that he saw something like… disappointment in her face.

He felt sad for himself and sad for her that he had been unable to choose another answer, but how could he possibly explain to her that these women had mattered only for a moment, for a night, some for a month, but then nothing more? The chancellor had always urged him to find a bride and Edge had agreed to this game – partly because he had liked to court young beautiful princesses, partly because he had hoped that they would fill the endless years of waiting and hoping with… _something_. He had always waited, always hoped, year after year for Rydia to come visit him in Eblan, and he had felt lonely in the hours when he had thought critically about his life and had decided to change it, to fly to Mist. But then, the next day, he had lived on like before, because his life was a good life after all, courting the princesses and making his jokes, his loneliness forgotten, but still waiting.

And then, one day, he had heard that she was married. He still had waited then; why and for what, he didn't know.

Rydia had said that she had loved her husband. What else had he expected?

And now he had told her about the women. Had she expected that there had been none?

xxx

_"Some…"_ Was he too ashamed to tell her how many women he had had?

For some reason, though, it did not fill her with fury, sadness or disappointment like such a comment would have done so many years before. She knew that affection could have many forms. After all, she had married another man and yet…

She suddenly couldn't stand to face Edge anymore; a cold feeling began to spread through her and she stood up to rekindle the fire, although it was still burning strongly. As she knelt down in front of the stove, the heat hurting her face, she felt Edge's eyes on her back and then she had to think about the many times when she had felt his heated gaze on her, making her blush, igniting its own fire in her, often also a fire of rage.

"_I have always dreaded fire in any form…"_

Fire had destroyed her home, her town, her world and although in time she had learned to invoke fire magic again, its hot glow had always left her with inertly shudders.

And thus, she had dreaded the fire in him, too – and the fire in his gaze. The feelings Edge invoked in her had been too strong and alien. Too strong to bear, too alien to understand – the fire seemed to burn her, seemed to eat her up. But in the many years she had not seen him (had it really been that long?) things had changed... The fear had dwindled, the fire had dwindled… _His_ fire, too.

A peculiar looking strand of hair fell before her face again and, finally, she knew what it reminded her of--

"_Ash_."

Was this everything that had stayed? Was this how everything ended? She had lived a normal life with a caring husband, trustful friends, moments of laughter and moments of sadness – maybe her life had not even been normal, but better than that of most others, and if she had had children or grandchildren she would have been able to tell them quite a tale. Edge had probably lived a good life, too – a life in the luxuries of a castle, a life with the things he loved. "Wine, women and song" like they called it. Despite his age, he looked healthy and would see many more years…

And yet, it seemed to Rydia as if their life had ended on that fateful day so many years back, on that day when she had been afraid, wanting to stand still for a little longer and when he had been bold, wanting to move on.

And now, now that she no longer was afraid and could go forward, could feel, _wanted_ to feel and now, now that he could wait and listen and _understand_, they were sitting in her kitchen and didn't know what to say.

xxx

Once more, the silence was painful in Edge's ears. In the past, when Rydia hadn't been shouting at him, she had often pouted (and she wasn't even pouting now), but then _he_ had talked, at least. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her, now, as well; talking was what he could do best, but currently all his skills were failing him and not only his mind; no, his whole body up to the tip of his tongue felt strangely tired, nearly dazed. Maybe it had to do with the soothing effects people were attributing to herbal tea? Edge looked at the cup in his hand and involuntarily a disgusted eyebrow rose – he was glad that Rydia couldn't see it, since she had stood up, the soft shuffling of her steps breaking the silence.

He watched her, as she knelt down before the oven, trying not to stare too much. The sight of her back was strangely familiar to him – maybe it was because she had walked away from him in a fury so often. The thought made him smile, first amused, then a bit wistful, then nearly affectionate: She looked as fragile as ever in her green woollen dress, her lean shoulders slightly bent forward as she rekindled the fire. He had always wondered how such a delicate person like her could possess such a will of stone.

Edge wondered if her late husband had ever cherished this trait of hers as much as he did…

xxx

Rydia shivered despite the flames before her face, when she felt his gaze on her back again. It was warm and she felt peaceful all of a sudden. She had often wondered, often imagined how it would be if Edge would sit behind her at that table. She closed her eyes and the answer to her question came as no real surprise -- it was like Edge had always been there, been there like the flowerpot near the window, like the old stove before her, like the wooden roof over her head and the old, creaking floorboards beneath. It occurred to her that even when they had been travelling together and she had cursed him, a part of her had also taken him for granted, and had believed that he always would be there, waiting until she felt ready. In all the years, she had never thought of how to impress or gain him, had never--

"I'm sorry that I never wanted you." She whispered and bit her lip as she realized how the words must have sounded to him.


	4. 6 o'clock

**4.**

**6 o'clock**

"I… It's okay… You… you chose the man you loved…" Her words had hurt, although they only confirmed what Edge had known all along. "You know I've always wanted you, though… Still, I understand."

"No, you don't! You never understood and you don't now!" Rydia jumped to her feet suddenly, much too quickly for someone of her age – Edge was sure that he could no longer jump up that quickly.

"I didn't mean it that way!" How could she possibly tell what she felt when there were no words for it? She never had wished to gain him, never –

She made a helpless attempt to explain it to him: "You always have been there and I—"

"I told you I'm sorry that I wasn't at the funeral!" He retorted half-roused, half-ashamed.

She desperately wished that he would stop talking about her husband. She had been wrong about Edge – he still couldn't listen to her. Before, she had wanted his old self to return and now that it did, it irritated her. It seemed that age had made her not less complicated… It had made her more patient, though, and thus, she tried to put her thoughts into words, once more:

"Edge, I loved my husband, but that doesn't mean that I stopped thinking about you—"

"Thinking?" Edge looked at her unbelievingly, his tone hovering between mockery and reproach now. "Despite what many people believe, thoughts can definitely _not_ travel! They were not able to visit me in Eblan!"

"And your thoughts were not able to tell me that you wanted me to come! You could have invited me!" Rydia sighed – she knew that this argument was going nowhere. It was just like back then. And "back then" she would have probably shouted in his face now. However, age had taught her other means to make her point clear. At least partly.

"You're such an idiot," she said and made sure that at least her pronunciation showed her anger.

A broad grin spread over Edge's face – this was the Rydia he knew. "I remember that phrase quite well… But couldn't you have shouted it instead?"

Rydia wondered how he had the strength to still sound so… temperamental and joking in his age. She surely couldn't get that agitated any longer…

Suddenly, she realized that she was standing before his chair, closer than she should be, but still not as close as she wanted and that she was looking into his eyes: those blue-gray eyes, now lined by many wrinkles, but still the eyes of the Edge she had always known. An unbearable sadness filled her and she felt like her stomach was cramping, like her whole body was cramping, as if trying to squeeze out the sorrow, trying to make it leave with the salty liquid that now stung in her eyes.

Edge was still grinning – it was the only thing he could do to hide his embarrassment. "It seems that nothing has changed, after all. I still make you cry... Even now, after so many years…" Back then, he would have added a bold assumption to his words, something like: "_Did you miss me that much?_" but he felt so sad, himself. All this waiting… it had been for nothing.

"I'm… not crying…" Rydia brought forth, but then he took her hand, and his dry and slightly calloused fingers felt so comforting in the way they stroked her skin, so familiar, as if they always had been this way, never younger and smoother. And as he looked at her, grinning, grinning so helplessly, so wearily, (it seemed to her that he had always grinned that way – never arrogantly), she thought that she could no longer bear it and as he pulled her down, gently, she could no longer hold back the tears and to hide them, to do _something_, to do something she _wanted_, she accepted his kiss.

It was just like he had expected it all these years – her lips were soft and warm, tasting like ripe, sweet fruit and it filled him with peace and longing at the same time.

"So, why couldn't we do this back at the wedding?" he asked, as her face drew away from him.

"You still don't understand, do you? You were too fiery and I was just a child…" Rydia was still holding his hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I just wanted time to stop, to wait for me –I was so afraid back then, and when I no longer was afraid, life had already went on and had swept us away… I never thought that this could happen – I think that I have always taken you for granted…"

He knew that these words should have given him hope, should grant him the illusion that all these years of waiting had been justified, but they came much too late… He felt vacated, tired in this moment, and angry, too: Angry at himself and at her for such a foolish waste of life.

_"Life never swept me away – and even if it did, it swept you with me… I never stopped to miss you. I was too bold and never thought of your feelings and---" _He wanted to say, but still, even after all these years he couldn't tell her his true feelings, he couldn't say: _"All my life I loved only you. And I still do."_

"Yes, it was just never meant to be, like they say," he said, trying to sound facetiously. "We just missed the time, and now it's too late." As if to support his own words, he added: "After all, we're not young anymore." He considered coughing for a good humourus effect, but did not feel like being funny. When he stood up, he ached for real, though. Lately, his back was hurting.

Rydia's heart was beating fast. She knew that the kiss had no meaning – it had just been a small moment, granted by life to turn back the clock-- and still it had felt like she had never kissed before. The moment was gone now, he was about to leave, again. Life did not wait. It was another thing age had taught her.

"So… until next time, then. I can visit you again, right?" There it was for a second – the slight offended undertone that was only meant playfully.

"Of course." She wondered when he would come back – maybe next month, next year? Eblan was far away from Mist.

"Thank you… I'm glad that we have – at least – this." He squeezed her hand for one last time and considered giving her another kiss, maybe on the cheek, but she drew away, nearly afraid and turned around, taking the kettle to the oven to put it away.

Rydia's heart was still fluttering as she heard his steps going towards the door, slowly…

"Edge, do you know that you haven't changed at all?" She was lying – or wasn't she? It no longer seemed like a lie to her. It was the closest thing to _"I've missed you; I always have,"_ that she could say. She wished she had said it, though, but now it was too late.

She could hear his small chuckle and then the opening and closing of the door.

With shaking hands she was about to put the empty kettle on the shelf, when there was another knock on the door. It wasn't appropriate in the least, but rather… vehement and impatient. She also could hear a curse along the lines of "_damn_" and "_Rydia_". The words between she could only presume, but in her heart she knew what they were.

"Come in. What are you waiting for?" she shouted and her mouth did something it had never done before: It broke into a smile so wide that she thought that her face would break.

As she filled the kettle anew with water, still smiling unbearably, she thought that sometimes "too late" was a very tensile phrase.

It was never too late for tea.

**The end**

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Author's notes: I never was a Rydia/Edge shipper (however, of all possible Rydia pairings, the one with Edge is the only one that makes at least some sense to me) and some readers of my older works "complained" (in a very nice manner, though) about that lack of closure concerning Edge's and Rydia's relationship in my stories. These comments made me wonder if I wasn't making things "too easy for me" regarding these two and I asked myself: Is it really impossible for them to get together? This is my answer. _

_I'd like to thank__ the people who brought me to reassess my opinion of Rydia and Edge slightly; all people who (hopefully) will review; Keane and U2 for their musical "support" (haha) and, as always, most of all I want to thank my friend Doc aka C.R. Carter for beta-reading and… just for being there! _

_July 2006-07-06_

_Titania _


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